Sunday, August 12, 2012

So, I came across this interview with Fantasy Artist, Jessica Galbreth on Facebook. Apparently, after years of sharing her amazing images of beautiful winged Fairies, Goddesses and Vampires, she has decided that these talents were the result of "demonic possession". Demons? Really?

If you watch the interview in it's entirety, you will learn that Jessica became interested in the occult at an early age, experimenting with the Oujia board and Tarot cards, which ultimately led to the creation of her own, Enchanted Oracle Tarot deck and apparently, her demonic possession. She even considered herself a Witch! :::Gasp:::

Gee, me too! I grew up in a family that was very open in terms of it's acceptance of the paranormal. We played with the Oujia board, held seances and read whatever books were available at the time on Witchcraft, Satanism, ghosts, hauntings and paranormal phenomenon,. And yet, we considered ourselves a Christian family. By this I mean, we were baptized, received communion and confirmation, celebrated Christmas and Easter and if we were so inspired, actually attended church on those occasions, didn't eat meat on Fridays and fasted during Lent. We believed in God and for us, that was enough.

Delving into the "dark side" was scary and fun. However, when presented with the fact that we really didn't know who we were inviting in during our Oujia Board dabbling sessions and seances....our parents pulled the plug on our connection to the other side and the Oujia board ended up collecting dust in the attic.

It didn't stop me from eventually leaving behind my Christian upbringing to follow a Wiccan path. Do I believe that this is the result of "demonic influences" left over from my "dabbling" phase? Hell no! (pun intended). It was due to the fact that I had found a religious Path that resonated with me and where I found spiritual fulfillment. I don't hate Jesus. I don't hate Christians. I simply believe that there is a spiritual path for everyone and one will ultimately know it when they find it.

Jessica says that her realization came when her daughter became frightened by her images. Well, lots of things frighten little kids. Dolls used to scare the shit out of me and I'm not entirely sure that they still don't. She also said that she felt as if a dark cloud was hanging over her. According to the CDC, that "dark cloud" might be depression, which strikes 1 in every 10 adults. I would begin there before I began blaming Satan's minions for the fact that I was not entirely thrilled with my life. Even the most successful people find themselves dissatisfied with their lives, Winston Churchill, Vincent Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Edgar Allen Poe, just to name a few. It kind of goes hand and hand with the whole depression thing. Jessica also claims she felt "prideful". Really? Well I can't imagine why? I wonder if she considered being proud of her accomplishments a sin before or after she was reborn?

The way we find and embrace spirituality in our lives is uniquely personal. No two people, even when sharing the same religious belief system, will experience Deity in the same way. At times, the religious path which we inherited from our parents is enough for us and we feel no need to look any further. Or, like myself, one finds no connection to the Path handed down to them and they seek spiritual fulfillment elsewhere. That doesn't mean that there was something wrong my previous beliefs. It simply means that Deity had chosen connect to me in a way that I would understand and embrace. A spiritual rebirth, in the purest sense of the word, shouldn't include the prompt condemnation of the Path one left behind. In that case you've only succeeded in being reborn into a more hypocritical version of yourself.

All this being said, I find it regretful, if not a bit amusing, that Jessica now considers her talent, "Satanic" and all her successes demonically inspired. And yet, she is still able to create in a very similiar style, except now, with a more angelic, Christian influence? Well...after all, Lucifer was an angel once too and Satan is referred to as "The Great Deceiver". Just sayin..

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Allow me to explain. Dead people are now sending messages either to me or through me in ways they never have before and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that!

If you've read my last entry, you know that my friend, Roy went to great lengths to send a message to his fiance, Michelle from beyond the veil. It was my pleasure and honor to help in whatever way necessary.

This morning, I received another message from my friend, Tommy, that I hadn't been expecting.

Tommy had a bigger than life persona. He was, physically, the most beautiful man I have ever known. His personality ran the gamut of every aspect one's soul could possess. He was wildly impulsive, kind, incredibly funny and cruel. He depised Mayonaisse! He displayed a child-like innocence, while exuding undeniable sexuality. He loved to be the center of attention and it was virtually impossible not to notice when he entered a room. Both men and women were enchanted by him.

Tommy and I became friends while working out at the local gym. Our friendship grew when he pushed me to do "one more rep, you candy ass!" I didn't even know this man, but knew we would soon be good friends.

Several years ago, Tommy decided to move back to Georgia. I was saddened by his choice to relocate, but knew that he would never be happy here in New Jersey. We never lost touch after his departure, but these days people don't talk, they text or update their status. That was until this past January when Tommy's cell phone began to "butt dial" me on a daily basis. He left me a text message apologizing for the same and asked me to call him, which I did. We chatted for a while, catching up on what had been going on in our lives, but hadn't spoken since.

For the past couple of weeks, I have thought about Tommy often. So often so that it prompted me to visit his Facebook page today to see what had been going on in his life. Well, I believe Tommy wanted me to know what had been going on as well. He passed away suddenly 4 months ago...my heart was broken..

Tommy shared with me things that troubled him since childhood and in doing so, always left me with the image of a heartbroken little boy with full pouty lips and sad eyes that was perpetually looking for someone to take care of him and yet, he would often push away those who loved him most.

Was I surprised to learn of his passing. Not so much. Tommy always played hard. He was fulfilling his dream of making a name for himself in the music business and lived a "Rock Star" lifestyle.

If anyone had the energy it takes to cross the veil it was Tommy. I truly believe that he knew if he reminded me enough of things about our friendship that I couldn't ignore, I would learn that he had chosen to leave this World behind far too soon.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

So, not so long ago I was asked by someone if our Coven had cast a spell on them because they had been experiencing a string of bad luck.

My response was simple. "No, we wouldn't do that. The Universe works to keep things in balance".

What I actually wanted to say was, "No, we wouldn't do that! But perhaps if your life didn't consist of anger, hatred, jealousy, cruelty to those weaker than yourself and random acts of douchebaggery, you might understand why it has chosen to treat you in kind". Of course, I didn't say that.

That being said, I do believe the Universe and/or the Gods keep things in balance, just not in the way one might think.

Have you ever known a person so negative that they can suck the life out of a room just by entering it? It's very uncomfortable just being in their company. If, like the rain, you stand in it too long, you'll find yourself drenched by it. So is true of those who shine. The brilliance of their energy shines so that they draw everyone to them.

Not all who experience tragedy or hardship are responsible for bringing it into their lives. I've seen the most horrendous things happen to the most beautiful of people. It's difficult to understand or accept. I've found the most comforting explanation is that this is a necessary part of the soul's journey. One must live through, process and move past the experience in order to learn and grow from it.

I believe that there are people however, who find it impossible to "move past" their most difficult life experiences. They hold on to their anger, grief, fear or insecurities and allow them to color who they are and in turn, their entire existence. In essence, they literally become their worst nightmare.

We all grieve our losses, no matter how great or small those losses are. Some are easier to move past than others. But when one can find no plausible explanation for the unexplainable, they may look to place blame where none can exist. You can't blame death on the dying. Well, perhaps you can...but to what end? Physical death is finite, so too will be one's grief should the appropriate help not be sought to work through the pain.

Yet while grief may be a reasonable explanation for negative emotions, there are those who dance precariously through life behaving with reckless disregard for the way their actions impact on others, only to find themselves dumbfounded when an avalanche of shit falls upon them. And their first inclination is to look elsewhere to place blame....with the exception, of course, being the mirror.

Ah...but the mirror is the one place we can't escape, can we? The gift of ourselves we share with others, for better or worse, comes not from our reflection, but from our soul, the seat of who we are. We can dress up that image that looks back from the mirror, but inside we are unchanged. This alone, for some.....should make for many a sleepless night.

And just when you thought a Witch's spell was to blame your misfortune....

Sunday, May 6, 2012

How have you been? Yes, I know...it's been a while since we chatted, but my life has taken on some odd twists and turns and I've only now sat down to take a breath! :::Inhale....Exhaaaale:::

Ah that's better!!!

So, this weekend I've met with a startling revelation! That being, that the dead are capable of using you like a cheap hooker when they need to get a message to someone they love! Allow me to explain...

A little over a year ago, I learned via Facebook that an acquaintance of ours was seriously ill. I use the word, "acquaintance" because I can't, in all honesty, say that Roy and I knew each other very well. We had mutual friends and attended a few events together, but sadly we never had the opportunity to become close friends. What I did know of Roy was that he was a joyful, fun loving person, who had found his soul mate in his fiance', Michelle.

That being said, upon learning of his illness, I wrote to Roy to tell him how saddened I was to hear of his misfortune. He asked that I not share the details of his illness, as he only wanted positive energy being sent his way. He also asked that we keep he and Michelle in our thoughts. I was more than happy to oblige.

I heard very little from Roy afterwards, with the exception a few of his progress updates and the the lovely, albeit bittersweet photos of he and Michelle's wedding. My heart broke for them. Roy was diagnosed with lung cancer and his prognosis was terminal. A short time later I learned that Roy had passed away.

Michelle wrote me to tell me that a celebration of Roy's life was going to take place in the Spring and that Roy would have wanted us to be there. Strange, I thought...given that Roy hadn't really known us very well.

Michelle emailed me again when the plans were finalized and for reasons that were unclear to me at the time, I felt compelled to be there. But why? Surely there were others that knew Roy much better than my husband and I that would be more appropriate participants in a celebrate of his life?

As uncharacteristic of me as it was (I've never been a fan of dead people), I knew, with absolutely certainty that on May 5th at 1 p.m., there was only one place I was meant to be!

As we drove to the ceremony, I mentioned to my husband how important it was that I be here. His response was simple, "then you should be."

Oh Roy, you dead people are so much better at this than I ever expected!

When we arrived and upon seeing Michelle, I was almost immediately overcome by emotion. There were tables arranged with photos of Roy as he enjoyed this life. He was always smiling! The center of the hall was set up with a beautiful Native American altar that consisted of an equal armed cross constructed of stones. Suddenly, I knew that I had something that I needed to add to the altar.

I rummaged through my bag until I found a small, white heart shaped stone that I had been carrying with me for years. I sought out Michelle and asked if she'd mind if I lay it on the altar with the others. Her response was simple..."a heart", she said with a smile.

It was then she told me that Roy had always teased her about her ability to see hearts in everything...in the clouds, the trees, etc. If there was a heart, Michelle would find it. Suddenly, I understood why was so important that I be there to celebrate Roy's life. Roy had a message for his soul mate and I believe he knew that I would understand why it needed to be given to her in a way only she would understand.
And undertand I did. When my sister passed away, I asked her to send me a sign that she was ok. I asked her for something very specific, that only I would know. A heart shaped stone. Within minutes, it was there, lying at my feet. I have carried it with me ever since. The stone I placed on the altar celebrating Roy's life was exactly like one I found on beach after my sister's passing. As with my sister, Roy had sent his message of love to Michelle from beyond the veil.

As the celebration drew to a close...Michelle shared something that made the occasion even more poignant. This would have been their first year's wedding anniversary.

Roy, thank you for this blessed gift. It meant more to me than words can say. Don't worry....we'll take care of her.

Merry Meet!

I am a witchcraft practicing, conjure working, Full Moon worshipping daughter of the Arts.
I have been interested in Witchery for as long as I can remember. As a child, when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was, "a Witch." The musing of a child?
I have been practicing for about 20 years, give or take a year and a day. I am a 2* Initiate in British Tradition Gardnerian Wicca.
We teach a training group in Gardnerian Wicca and can be found on Witchvox is "Circle of the Ancient Ways".
I am also a Okuden level, Jikiden Reiki practitioner, a Reiki Master/Teacher in Usui System of Natural Healing. I have had training as an End of Life doula.
In the mundane World, I am a Surgical Coordinator, wife and mother.